The Mardin 3rd High Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced a US Consulate employee to four-and-a-half years in prison on charges of supporting a terrorist organization, the Hürriyet daily reported.
Hamza Uluçay, who had been working as translator and political advisor at the US Consulate in Adana for years, was detained in February 2017 near the consulate building.
The court ruled to release Uluçay due to time already served and imposed a travel ban.
US Embassy Charge d’affaires Jeffrey M. Hovenier, US Consul in Adana Alejandro Hoot Baez and other US officials were present at the final hearing of the trial.
The prosecutor accused Uluçay in the indictment of organizing medical care campaigns for Kurdish militants who fought in Syria and came to Turkey for treatment when wounded.
The prosecutor also considered one dollar bills seized at Uluçay’s house during a police raid to be evidence linking him to the Gülen movement.
One dollar bills have been considered by Turkish prosecutors to be a link to the movement since a 2016 coup attempt, which the government claims was orchestrated by Gülen followers, although the movement strongly denies any involvement.